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Published on 06 March 2018

Bedford College has issued its Annual Review which demonstrates why it is No 1 in the region and one of the top Further Education establishment in the UK.

Working with nearly 2,500 employers, Bedford College, which includes Shuttleworth College, has unparalled links when it comes to preparing young people for the fast-changing world of work. It has also succeeded in raising the number of Bedfordshire teenagers going to university via The Bedford Sixth Form, which will soon have 600 students at the specialised centre.

The review, which covers the academic year September 2016 to July 2017, shows Bedford College celebrating a decade of being officially classified as financially OUTSTANDING, a significant achievement when others in the sector were failing to make their incomes add up.

Encouraging more people to step up towards Higher Education has also been a winner, with employers and individuals recognising the value of studying at Bedford College towards degrees demanded by the modern economy.

In a timely announcement for National Apprenticeships Week (March 5th) the review showed Bedford College helped 310 employers to take on apprentices across 74 different careers paths.

Big projects progressed in 2017 included the Advanced Engineering Centre, due to open later in 2018 and a world-winning animal centre with tropical zone at Shuttleworth College scheduled for 2019.

Principal and CEO Ian Pryce CBE said: “Our growth over the last decade is an amazing achievement, especially being in one of the region’s smaller market towns.

“Our students’ achievements translate into great results for them: jobs, promotions and university. We want everyone in our community to have the chance to share in these positive outcomes.

“The merger with Tresham College on August 1st 2017 means we can provide even more opportunities to even more people.”